Who did the trans? Check with them on the converter but I'd bet you do have to have a non clutch model. Put it this way if you have no clutch it can't lock up. Plenty of places to call that you can find on the internet. Try the Turbo V6 sites. Do a Google. Make some calls. You really need a higher stall unit for that cam anyway. TV cable won't make a difference at idle for your problem. Even not having it hooked up at all won't make much of a difference for normal driving other than shift points and firmness will change. You wouldn't want it not hooked up for WOT use though. The TV system in those transmissions have a failsafe system where if they are disconnected(such as a broken cable) so as not to burn out the trans they automatically are valved to an intermediately high pressure to save it. Maybe you'll get a better response in the "Juice Box" area.
Thanks Mike, Did call a couple of trans converter manufactorers n they all said the same, "If u have a nonlocking trans, u must run a nonlocking converter." Running the stalk lockup converter caused my symptoms. So with that info, I ordered one. Will keep everyone uptodate when installed. Thanks Everyone who responded. Denis
Ordered a 10" 3000-3200 stall from PTC converters. The guys on TurboBuick.com were very happy with their converters. They make them to order, should have it in 1 1/2 wks. Anyone have one of these? Denis
I bought a Coan convertor..it stalls at about 2500-2600 RPM when the throttle is pressed from a stop but I can cruise around town at 1200 no problems like it's a stock convertor. It's a lockup convertor and I've never had any problems out of it. The lockup is almost like an extra gear because it reduces engine RPM's about 200-300 by eliminating convertor slippage..I like it. I don't trust any built in failsafe in a TV operated tranny. I'm running a 700R4 and the shifting patterns goes totally nuts when I drive it without the cable hooked up. Slipping during shifts and going back and forth between gears. I've only done that once and drove it maybe a 1/4 mile. Forgot to hook the cable back up after fine tuning it.ou: Didn't like how it acted without the TV cable hooked up at all.
Art Carr (aka the "REAL" Art Carr) is like the godfather of Automatic Transmissions. His website has a lot of information. The first thing he says about TV operated transmissions: "T.V. Cable Adjustment WARNING: PERMANENT DAMAGE WILL OCCUR IF THE T.V. CABLE IS NOT ADJUSTED OR HOOKED UP. THE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR WITHIN A FEW FEET OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE!" Read this.
There is no failsafe in a TV system. What you're experiencing is a trans that doesn't have a consistent line pressure and is quickly burning itself up. If anyone thinks there's a failsafe in a TV operated trans than please put a TH400 in the car and save the overdrive for someone else. The failsafe of a blown modulator valve in a TH400 is not the same thing that a 200/700 goes through.
Thanks everyone for your insight on this issue, MUCH APPRECIATED!!!! Found this on Youtube on adjusting TV cable... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQlCkb_eIpA Looks like a piece of cake!!!! I've never driven a car with a 3000 stall conv. What are it's characteristics? TA 310 cam recommends 2500-3000 stall.. Thanks Denis After further searching found this n has a great explanation for a newbie like me... Tombstone and skidmarx are pretty much spot on in thier answers, its funny how many people don't understand the concept too well. A high stall converter is used to obtain maximum acceleration utilising the engines torque and power WITHIN ITS SPECIFIED FLASH SPEED. Once the engines RPM exceeds the flash speed, the stall converter pretty much is only used as a power transmitting device between the motor and drivetrain. Any way, say you have a standard stall converter that drives the car in the standard way, flash speed rated at 1800 RPM. You accelerate using half throttle, and the car will start accelerating away at say 1600 RPM, staying at that RPM. Say you accelerate using full throttle, the car will accelerate away faster but the motor will be doing 1800RPM off the line. Say you hold your foot on the brake and throttle, this converter will only let the engine reach 1800 RPM. Now, lets say you rip this old piece of junk out and slap in a stall converter with a flash speed rated at 3000 RPM (AKA a "3000 grand stally" in slang terms). Say you take off half throttle, engine RPM will reach say 2500 RPM, then say you accelerate full throttle the engine RPM will reach 3000 RPM, the car will accelerate away in the same way as with the lower speed stall, BUT faster. Why do you ask? Well, do most engines make power and more torque at 1800 RPM or 3000RPM? 3000 RPM ofcourse, so there for because the higher stall converters raised specified flash point allows the engine to reach 3000 RPM during a full throttle take off, there is more torque and power availiable to utilise and get sent to the rear wheels. Check out this short clip of a Falcon with I think a 4000 RPM stall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uFAm3WCOzE You can see how this bloke has planted the throttle, it reaches its flash speed almost instantly, then once thats reached it accelerates like usual. So moral of this blabble? A car will drive the same with both a low stall and high stall, except you are able to reach more RPM off the line/trying to stage/trying to do burnouts/ etc etc there fore reaching a more powerful band in the RPM. PS anyone correct me or add anything as they please, hope this helps
Well I guess GM's Hydramatic division got it wrong when they wrote the following THM 200-4R "Principles of Operation" book of which I just happen to OWN a copy. Read all about it below under "T.V. Exhaust Check Ball". They made sure that if the cable was accidentally disconnected or broken the trans would go to a safe middle ground on line pressure and would hold up pretty well to get it to where it could be fixed, not burn up after only a few feet according to some knowledgeable people. I'm sure Art Carr is overstating the case because his customers are generally the type that will pull out from a garage and then go to WOT in seconds in which case the failsafe will not save the clutches. He's covering his backside. I never said Denis should go around with it disconnected. I just said that having it disconnected or even misadjusted won't cause the converter to lockup. I did say to have it hooked up for WOT. I'd suggest that if a transmission acts completely goofy without the cable hooked up then there is a good chance that the TV Exhaust check ball has been removed during a shift kit install, on purpose or by accident. I would think that a blown modulator valve in a T350/400 would cause shifting to only happen at very high rpm(very close to normal WOT shift points) just like it would if the vacuum line was disconnected(or you are WOT, no vacuum) and the car would freewheel once you left off the throttle all of which has not much to do with the way a 200-4R acts with a disconnected cable. I have rebuilt my own 200-4R, 700-4R, and TH350C and all have lockup converters, along with T350's and T400's, switchpitch and fixed, and all have been loaded behind high performance Buick engines in my vehicles. I don't claim to be a transmission pro, just a semi-competent rebuilder. What I do have is service manuals for all and GM technical data books for most sitting on my bookshelf and all have been thoroughly read(and reasonably understood) before I worked on the above transmissions. I'd say my competence goes beyound the usual shift kit tinkerer. Usually I try to stay away from giving advice on subjects in which I don't have a pretty good idea on what I'm talking about and I stay away from one or two line generalization answers that just muddy the water.
Well then someone at GM's Hydramatic division needs to get fired because they sure forgot to tell my 700R4 how to operate without that TV cable hooked upuzzled: The way I described it was exactly the way it acted..VERY badly. I'll take real world experience over what the book says is supposed to happen any day of the week. If you want to trust driving around without the TV cable hooked up then have at it. I also rebuilt my own 700R4 and just a semi-competent rebuilder so take it FWIW.. Since we like to post pics: The Car.. The Motor and the TV brackets and TV cable on the TQ.. 700R4 Servo cover.. 700R4 to BOP Adapter plate..
I have yet to see a single 2004r cruising without the TV cable connected. I have seen them burnt up and junked from the cable being improperly connected or not connected at all (broken cable). I think the manual may be the way they came from the factory, but once they've gotten some miles on them that ball probably doesn't move quite as freely as it should. Generally you'll get a trans hunting for a gear while the the car quickly looses power and rpms fluctuate. Finally the nice burnt smell as the car no longer wants any gear. On the plus side though you shouldn't get the sand in a can sound that goes along with running one out of fluid. Either way it has nothing to do with the original problem. He posted in his other thread that he's getting the right converter and should be good to go once it's installed.
some of you are also trying to compare 200-4r characteristics with the 700r4 not the same deal yes both have tv and od but still different so sounds like he has a "stock convertor" from an 86 monte ss it should be a d5 someone should pick it up my d5 stalls at 2500 is till find it hard to believe the "wrong" convertor was the problem it may have been a bad one but wrong idk
Hey Mike (No Lift) I hope I didn't come across as being a jerk. I just know someone may come across this thread later and say that the TV cable isn't needed and then say that the 200 is a crappy trans if it burns up. I always air on the side of caution when it comes to big parts like this. I have seen these things die from being handled wrong and then get blamed for not being strong enough. I've also seen them hold up to tons of abuse from people who over build them and protect them.
Does the TV valve getting stuck at WOT and having the cable fall off count? :bla: Been there, done that. Shifted a little firm.ou: I've ruined 2 converters, both of which led to full trans rebuilds.
I have actually seen a cable get stuck full open, but the car was parked at the time. I've also seen them stretch and snap. For a while I had a cable that was starting to fray, but the car got scrapped before it snapped. I imagine it wasn't a fun time cruising around when the cable popped off.
The only reason it wasn't fun was because I kept thinking, "How much money is this going to cost me?":af:
OK issue resolved..:beer ..Got the nonlocking 10" 3000 stall converter from PTC yesterday. Installed it and it solved the converter locking issue when put in gear (causing engine to stall) when the trans fluid was full. Thanks everyone for all ur helpful comments!!! Denis
